Wallabies 31 Man Squad

[fatprop]

To be successful in this life you can not blame circumstance, you take responsibility for you mistakes and use all available resources to make things work the best possible.

Deans has played the blame and excuse game through his tenure and failed to extract the best (consistently) out of many of his players.

I haven't heard an interview where Dean's has blamed circumstances.

 

[Slim 293]

Peter Kimlin anyone...?
2nd time I have put his name forward. With Higgers out and MMM severely underdone he is coming into some excellent form just at the right time.
He covers 5,6 and 8.

More deserving than McCalman on form, and now with Pyle injured and MMM not possibly up to fitness I think he would be deserving...........

If it came to it I would much prefer to see Kimlin packing down in the second row than Dennis who I only see as a 6/8.........

 

[gold heart]

Peter Kimlin anyone...?
2nd time I have put his name forward. With Higgers out and MMM severely underdone he is coming into some excellent form just at the right time.
He covers 5,6 and 8.

I also like Kimlin - not so sure about his experience at 8 but I might be wrong - tens to drop the ball at times but a player with red hair and angry is always a good team man

 

[Blue]

Peter Kimlin anyone...?
2nd time I have put his name forward. With Higgers out and MMM severely underdone he is coming into some excellent form just at the right time.
He covers 5,6 and 8.

Well ahead of Samo. Kimlin played the game last night that people have been waiting for. Perhaps he is a late bloomer.

Samo really is looking like he has gone a year too far.

 

[Slim 293]

Kimlin had a late bloom last year as well........

I commented at the time that he was one of the Brumbies' better forwards in the latter half of the comp after also having the dropsies early on.......

The guy gets through a mountain of work, good set piece and gets metres with ball in hand......... and he is test capped........

 

[Joe Blow]

Well ahead of Samo. Kimlin played the game last night that people have been waiting for. Perhaps he is a late bloomer.

Samo really is looking like he has gone a year too far.

I am a Samo fan as well. He has great strength and the ability to take the wind out of any sides sails on his own. He is only good for 40-50 minutes these days but can impact any game.
He is past his peak but still has something to offer if needed.

 

[gold heart]

Samo does have huge impact no doubt...but....tend to agree with blue, age is probably starting to catch up with the big fella - he has not started many games with the reds this year - in fact he has not played alot this year at all.....great character and all but sad to say he is probably past his used by date a bit and for this reason I think we should start bringing in players for the future whether its Kimlin, Pyle Carter or Schatz along with MMM etc

 

[wamberal]

Samo will be overlooked. But this is nothing to do with his age, or with any thought of bringing in players for the future. There is no future, there is only the immediate challenge of defeating the Loins.

 

[Dumbledore]

One against a woeful Baabaas.
Once against a Welsh side who were also weighed down with injuries, and were then our bunnies effectively. JOC (James O'Connor) didn't exactly orchestrate that Welsh win, either. That was at the end of a long, long season for both teams, particularly the Welsh.

Not exactly proving he's an international level flyhalf after a mere two games there.

Okay, how many Test players are there playing flyhalf at international level these days? What exactly does one have to do to prove they are an international level player in a position.

 

[Dumbledore]

I haven't heard an interview where Dean's has blamed circumstances.

Since when does that matter?

 

[Scotty]

I haven't heard an interview where Dean's has blamed circumstances.

You've never seen Deans come up with excuses?

 

[Slim 293]

Okay, how many Test players are there playing flyhalf at international level these days? What exactly does one have to do to prove they are an international level player in a position.

We can't deny that he's played in that position at an international level.......

Whether he's any good at is is a whole other matter........

 

[lewisr]

Okay, how many Test players are there playing flyhalf at international level these days? What exactly does one have to do to prove they are an international level player in a position.

I honestly don't understand the gauging of O'Connors test ability off two games that were played 2 years ago. Frankly they are fairly irrelevant and do not represent his perceived ability or inability as a flyhalf in 2013 against the British and Irish Lions.

However, to answer your question, I think proving yourself and worth at an international level depends heavily on who your are playing. If we were playing France or England or Ireland, I would be leaning towards giving To'omua a shot at flyhalf even though he lacks experience. He is currently the most 'balanced' in Australia and seems to be of test quality.

Against the Lions, we are looking for more experience and those who have shown they can help the wallabies win games in the past, as well as be with the best in the provincial competitions. For me (say again, for me), this is Quade. 38 test caps (Most at 10) to his name, and in good super rugby form. But we will see how he goes tonight I guess.

What is concerning is that Deans, who is so intent on reputation/ experience has opted for O'Connor. An unbelievably good rugby player, don't get me wrong, but one that has not shown he is the anywhere near the best flyhalves in Super Rugby. He is proven at international level in other positions, but not at flyhalf (I am not saying he will be bad, but he hasn't proven he is good either). So the question is - why is it that he's taking the risk on a new 10 with no super rugby positional form to back up the selection? Like I said, it is unfair to use results and performances from 2 years ago to say whether or not he's good enough. He is a wallaby, no doubt. But is he the answer at flyhalf? I guess we will just have to wait and find out.

 

[lewisr]

I also have a suspicion that despite Ewen and Quade's negativity, there is a chance the Deans will actually decide whether he's worth the risk tonight. After seeing how average O'Connor was against the Reds, he may be worried that he no longer has the answer. My somewhat foolish and bias bet is that if Quade unlocks the Lions defence tonight, he will be in the final 6.

 

[GaffaCHinO]

MMM to play at 6 for the force tomorrow against the tahs.

Sent from my GT-I9300T using Tapatalk 2

 

[Swat]

What is concerning is that Deans, who is so intent on reputation/ experience has opted for O'Connor. An unbelievably good rugby player, don't get me wrong, but one that has not shown he is the anywhere near the best flyhalves in Super Rugby. He is proven at international level in other positions, but not at flyhalf (I am not saying he will be bad, but he hasn't proven he is good either). So the question is - why is it that he's taking the risk on a new 10 with no super rugby positional form to back up the selection? Like I said, it is unfair to use results and performances from 2 years ago to say whether or not he's good enough. He is a wallaby, no doubt. But is he the answer at flyhalf? I guess we will just have to wait and find out.

Don't worry, we've got Lealiifano, Beale and Barnes as back up, they've all played heaps of games at 10 this year.............................

 

[Ash]

Okay, how many Test players are there playing flyhalf at international level these days? What exactly does one have to do to prove they are an international level player in a position.

For starters, a 60 - 11 pantsing of a bad bad bad Baabaas side does not count.

That leaves the Wales game. A game two years ago, at the end of a very, very, very long season against two weakened teams, one of which was our bunny in recent times.

Secondly, as I said, Deans said after those two performances that JOC (James O'Connor) was not a 10. They discussed that actual quote a few podcasts ago with Bob Dwyer.

For a player to be international level, they first have show they are capable at provincial level, which JOC (James O'Connor) has not yet done. This will typically take a few seasons. Then the player has to be consistent across a lot more than two tests, let alone the questionable nature of both of those tests and the fact they were two years ago.

The fact you are even trying to belabour the point that JOC (James O'Connor) has been shown to be an international level flyhalf is mind boggling to me. Is JOC (James O'Connor) an international level rugby player? Yes. At flyhalf? No(t yet).

Mate, when a certain Australian flyhalf participated in the 76 - 0 pantsing of England in 1998 he was not yet international class, but was verging on it. He would go on to show that he belonged at that level in the Wallaby 10 jersey though, something that JOC (James O'Connor) will soon get the chance to do.

 

[qwerty51]

Alright so the 6 is looking more like Hanson, Sio, McMeniman, Burgess, McCabe and Beale

 

[Joe Blow]

We cannot try and out Lion the Lions.
Deans game plan for the past couple of years is to play mistake free rugby and accumulate points. Unfortunately these blokes will do it better and the Reds showed tonight that taking them out of their comfort zone and away from their structure is the way to beat them.
When they are playing with structure they look almost unstoppable.
We need some X factor in the mix. Are Folau, JOC (James O'Connor) and Genia going to be enough?

 

[TOCC]

Burgess??

Heck, going on form I would sooner take Frisby.....
RD has his favorites though.